The Difference Between Cheap and Expensive Bikes

No, don't laugh, there are people who contact us by email and ask, what's the difference between, say, one green mountain bike with bouncy forks and another green bike with bouncy forks, since one costs a few thousand Baht and the other weights in at over twenty thousand Baht. Both are green, both have knobbly tyres, both have bouncy forks, so umm, why should I pay almost 10 times more?

Years ago, a sort of Zen Master of cycling gave me some sound advice. He said “You might as well give up because you've got no sense of balance, talent or grace and, apart from that, if you ever buy a bike, spend as much money as you can afford without upsetting the wife of the bank manager.” It was advice which, in the main, I followed, except that I'm still riding as badly as ever.

The point is, the holy-men of mountain biking was right, spend as much as you can.

Why? Because the differences between bikes are many and varied but the differences between an expensive bike and a cheap one are the same the world over. Everything on a more expensive bike is better made and of better quality than on a cheap bike. Or it should be.

The Bike's Frame

Look for double-butted tubing in the frame, which means that the tubes in certain areas are thinner to save weight. They're just as strong but costs more to make, hence they're only featured on bikes which cost more.

Tubes which are specially shaped and swagged will also only appear on more expensive bikes. Look for high-quality aluminum tubes sets. Steel tube-sets from dependable names. If you have to sacrifice some part of your budget on either a cheaper frame or cheaper components – spend more on the frame.

The Bike's Gussets

On an expensive bike you are also more likely to find CNC machined dropouts and brake bridges as well as neater welds and gusseting. Gussets are what frame builders use to increase the strength of the frame in areas where it will be under the most stress such as between the head tube and down tube. Look for swallow-tail gussets which are generally agreed to be the best design at this point.

The Bike's Components

Look for good quality set of drivetrain components from the shifters all the way through to the rear mech. On a cheaper bike you'll probably find a good rear mech with a cheaper front mech and shifters, Brakes are another case in point. On a cheap bike you'll get unbranded components, on a better bike you'll get the full set of branded kit, from levels to calipers to brake blocks. It's always worth checking.

The Rest of the Bike

Even good quality bikes should be checked out. If there is money to be saved it is often here, in the handlebars, stem, grips, seatpost and saddle department. In terms of affecting the performance of the bike, these areas don't relly make a difference, which is why some manufacturers skimp in this department of fit in-house parts. Don't be too upset if your finishing kit isn't super because you can always upgrade at your leisure. You should still get some decent house-branded stuff on your around 20,000 Baht bike, though, so don't be taken for a fool.